More than seventy years ago our fathers and grandfathers began arriving in Costa Rica from Europe (mainly from Poland, Ukraine, Russia, Austria, Romania and Hungary). The first immigration wave began in 1925, fleeing poverty and discrimination. The second wave was of Holocaust survivors who came to our country, in general, to join relatives who had arrived earlier.

The first thing newcomers did was organize a community that would provide religious, social and educational services to its members.

In 1932 the first community building in Avenida 3 and Calle 6, and then in 1934 founded the Jewish Zionist Center of Costa Rica as a communal entity, formally founded as an association since 1937 is acquired.

The Israeli Center is the main Jewish Community institution Costa Rica and mutual aid, charity, formal and informal Jewish education and care of the elderly is responsible, inter alia, to maintain and promote religious activity. The Israeli Center is responsible for managing the Orthodox synagogue, the Orthodox cemetery and social and educational facilities, as well as the Jewish community meet their religious needs such as the monitoring of products that are used and used in accordance with the Jewish dietary rules.